Described by this patent is a nanoparticle (1 nm to 100 nm) dispersion for diagnosing skin health conditions that comprises at least three components selected from: glucose, chloroauric acid, potassium hydroxide, sodium borohydride and water. The dispersion is provided in a test kit to diagnose skin conditions ranging from normal to dry, or dandruff. The test method involves collecting a skin sample and treating it with the nanoparticle dispersion, then measuring the color of the test samples to diagnose the skin condition.

Predicting toxicology, cellular effects of manufactured nanomaterials
U.S. Patent 8785505
Publication date: July 22, 2014
Assignee: The Regents of the University of California

According to this invention, nanotechnology is being applied to a diverse array of consumer products and medical applications, ranging from cosmetics to electronics and to drug delivery vehicles. This increasing use underlines the importance of understanding its potential toxic effects. Thus, disclosed in this patent are methods and assays to predict and evaluate the cellular effects of nanomaterial exposure based on the knowledge that exposing cells to nanomaterials at cytotoxic doses induces cell cycle arrest; increases apoptosis/necrosis; activates genes involved in cellular transport, metabolism and cell cycle regulation; and stress response. Certain nanomaterials also induce genes indicative of a strong immune and inflammatory response within skin fibroblasts. Furthermore, multiwall carbon nanoonions (MWCNOs) are discussed, which can be used as a therapeutic in the treatment of cancer due to its cytotoxicity.

These inventors describe how acne lesions can be simultaneously or sequentially treated to reduce their numbers via a daily topical regimen with the combination or association of adapalene or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and benzoyl peroxide (BPO). Further, the reduced number of acne lesions and improvements in clinical conditions of patients were markedly superior to a treatment based on adapalene or BPO alone, while at the same time maintaining the same skin tolerance.

Disclosed herein are cyclic cationic peptides and their use to treat microbial infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) provide a first line of defense against the breach of skin and mucosal surfaces by micro-organisms. They therefore have been implicated as potential targets for therapeutics for a range of infections. However, they are technically challenging and costly to produce in recombinant systems. They also have potent chemotactic and inflammatory biological functions, which rules out natural AMP forms as therapeutics.

Provided in this patent are cyclic peptides that are useful in the treatment or prevention of microbial infections. These peptides are desirable as therapeutics since they are highly effective, proteolytically stable, substantially salt insensitive, not hepatotoxic, non-haemolytic and easy to synthesize. The cationic charge of these peptides is believed to facilitate the association of the peptide with the polar head groups of microbial membranes. Stabilization of the charged groups in a more dense confirmation by cyclization is believed to enhance this attraction, thereby increasing the antimicrobial potency of the peptides.

This invention relates to α-amylase variants that are stabilized against dimerization and/or multimerization at elevated temperatures or high pH levels, to give more negatively polarized or charged amino acids. The invention further relates to methods of increasing the stability of an α-amylase, whereby at least one amino acid residue on the surface of the starting molecule, which makes a neutral or positively polar or charged contribution to the electrostatic potential of said molecule, is replaced with a more negatively polar or negatively charged amino acid residue. The α-amylase variants obtained thereby exhibit better stability to influences of the solvent, increased processivity, and are suited for numerous industrial areas of use, in particular as active ingredients in detergents and cleansers.

Disclosed in this patent are extracts processed from traditional Chinese herbal medicinal plants and a composition for skin external application that contains the extract. Specifically, the composition contains an extract of processed herbal medicinal plant, chosen from a vast array of sources (see the patent disclosure for the complete list) prepared through a method comprising the steps of: a) processing an herbal medicinal plant by boiling, steaming, roasting, baking or heating it, or a combination of two or more of these processes; and b) obtaining the extract. The composition shows antioxidant effects.

According to these inventors, it has surprisingly been found that specific light stabilizers based on benzotropolone derivatives provide outstanding UV-absorbing as well as antioxidant properties, and are therefore suitable for product protection. Polyphenols based on the benzotropolone moiety can be isolated from plants or fungi; examples of naturally occurring benzotropolones are purpurogallin, purpurogallin carboxylic acid, fomentariol from the fungus Fomes fomentarius, goupiolone and aurantricholone from the fungus Tricholoma aurantium. Theaflavins, which are present in black tea, is another well-known group of polyphenols that contain a benzotropolone nucleus. Synthetic benzotropolones are produced by the oxidative coupling of a 1,2-dihydroxybenzene derivative with a 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene derivative.

Synthesis and isolation of dendrimer based imaging systems
WIPO Patent Application WO/2014/109927
Publication date: July 17, 2014
Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan

Improved imaging techniques are required to assess the targeted delivery of therapeutics. The present invention therefore relates to methods of synthesis and isolation of antibodies conjugated with modular dendrimer nanoparticles. In particular, this invention is directed to: antibodies conjugated with novel modular dendrimer nanoparticles having a precise number of imaging agents; methods of synthesizing the same; compositions comprising such antibodies conjugated with such modular dendrimer nanoparticles; and systems and methods utilizing the conjugates. Examples include imaging settings, diagnostic and/or therapeutic settings, the delivery of therapeutics, imaging and/or targeting agents).